Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system that supports efficient manufacturing of a wire harness.
Description of the Related Art
For example, in a system in which an input device, a control device, and an output device are connected together via a wire harness (sometimes referred to simply as a harness below), the harness is sometimes manufactured in a different place before the system is assembled. To manufacture the harness, work is normally performed in which a plurality of electric wires are wired at predetermined positions and bound into a bundle, and each of the electric wires included in the bundle is then connected to a corresponding terminal of an electrical connector. Note that the wiring of the electric wires described above means arrangement of the electric wires at required positions.
When the system becomes large-scaled, and the number of the harnesses is increased, the numbers of the electric wires and the connectors constituting the harnesses are correspondingly increased. It thus takes much time to manufacture the harnesses. The harness means an assembly composed of the connector and the electric wire bundle in which the plurality of electric wires are bound together.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2012-252977 discloses a manufacturing system that can manufacture a wire harness at low cost by reducing a distribution cost of an exterior member. In the system in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2012-252977, an electric wire body included in the wire harness that is a manufacturing object is divided into three types of portions including a trunk portion as a main portion, and a branch portion and a distal end portion that are spread therefrom in a substantially hierarchical manner. That is, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2012-252977, the types of exterior members required for assembling the wire harness are reduced, so that equipment for manufacturing the exterior members required for assembling the wire harness can be provided in a single plant. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2012-252977 thereby achieves its object. As described above, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2012-252977 makes no mention of efficient wiring of electric wires, and connection of wired electric wires and a connector.
An object of the present invention is to provide a wire harness manufacturing support system that enables efficient wiring of electric wires, and further enables efficient connection of wired electric wires and a connector.